CarComplaints.com Notes: The Dodge Intrepid, Stratus & other Chrysler sedans are infamous for oil sludge problems with the 2.7L V6 engine. If someone offers to sell you a 2.7L V6 model, it's only worth the price of the scrap metal it's going to shortly turn into.
NOTE: Only the 2.7L V6 has the oil sludge problem. Our "Avoid like the Plague" designation is ONLY for models with the 2.7L V6 engine. All other available engines are very reliable with no major problems.
Even with regular maintenance, the oil sludge defect eventually destroys the 2.7L engine typically around 80,000-100,000 miles. The only true fix we know about is to put in the larger 3.2L engine, which has a great reputation.
This issue was never deemed a safety defect by the Feds, so there was no recall. In the end, Chrysler got away with FOUR YEARS worth of defective 2.7L V6 engines in their sedans.
the clunk no one can find! i have had 6 people look at this dam car and no one can find what is wrong with it! and yet i hit a bump and it sounds like the #$@%$%# car is going to come apart!
At low speeds (10-30 mph), auto makes a heavy clunking noise after going over bumps, deep cracks or dips in road, etc. It sounds as if I am about to loose part of the frame. Difficult to tell where noise is coming from. Undercarriage checks by myself & five other mechanics have revealed no easily identifiable source of the problem.
- tinker27,
Inver Grove Heights, MN, US
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Long list of repairs on 1999 Dodge Intrepid
Went over a speed bump and it felt like motor was going to put a dent in the hood.
Motor mount broken. had to have replaced. motor replaced year before. did mechanics notice a weakness when bolting new engine down.
- dncrswll, Hickory, NC, US